The Greater Good
by Taffybug89
Summary: In a mission gone wrong, Sasuke must confront past demons if he wants to save his teammates. Naruto's injured and Sakura's dying. Is all this really worth their lives? "There are things in life worth dying for." "Not for the sake of your life." "Why? Because I'm your friend?" "Yes!" "Well, then honor my memory." Team 7 SasuSaku
1. Angels Fall

Chapter One

Angels Fall

 _When angels fall with broken wings_

 _I can't give up, I can't give in_

 _When all is lost and daylight ends_

 _I'll carry you..._

Lightning and thunder clashed. The rain hit hard, no brakes, no slowing for the impact of the ground. Harsh winds whistled through an old, wooden, abandoned building, and it wasn't letting up.

Another thundering bang sounded as the doors to the entrance hit the walls as they opened and a figure of a man, soaked and panting, limped inside. He removed his fox decorated mask, blue eyes darting around the damp place, and he ran a hand down his whiskered face.

It wasn't much, but it would have to do. "In here!"

Harsh breathing followed as the young man moved aside, allowing two more to enter, both breathing and struggling. A young man, dark haired, and mismatched eyes did not falter as he entered, carrying a pink haired woman bridal style.

"Naruto!" The blonde man turned to face frantic eyes. "Take her; she'll get pneumonia if I don't start a fire."

"Okay!" Naruto quickly made for her and settled her against a nearby wall. She winced as she was set down, and Naruto let out a soft apology. He couldn't tell if she shivered from the cold or from the wound. "Hang in there, Sakura. We'll get you fixed up."

Tired, weary emerald eyes glanced at the man, who, no matter what happened, was always a ray of sunshine, her sun, and smiled faintly. "Yeah…" and closed her eyes as another wave of pain shot through her body.

 _Horse. Serpent. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger._

Fire shot out a few feet away as warmth enveloped them. A good look around and the abandoned building was definitely a little worse for wear. The windows would need to be boarded, especially if the storm was going to keep up. Still, the dark haired man counted their blessings. It was better than nothing. He moved to the couple in the corner, bent down in front of them, searching for her medical pack.

"I'm going to take a look around. Make sure we lost them." Naruto put a comforting hand on his shoulder before taking off into the night.

Aside from the rain, quiet enveloped them. After searching through Sakura's medical pack, he pulled out some gauze and some soldier pills. "Here."

Sakura slowly reached for the pills, taking them one by one. "That will help for a little while," she stated, "…I've got to get this out of me…" She shuddered again as she reached for the arrow that was embedded in her abdomen. He shoved her hand away, and Sakura stared, feeling a jab to her ego. "Wait for Naruto."

"Sasuke, I need to do this now…" She breathed, trying to hold back another wave of pain.

Sasuke watched as she stiffened and tensed. "Sakura…"

"I can do this, I'll just.." She paused, regretfully accepting her incompetence. "…I'll need your help."

A frustrated sigh was heard. He was in no way a medical ninja. "I don't think…"

"Sasuke, you can do it."

Another frustrated sigh and he ran a hand through his hair. "What do you need?"

Sakura struggled as she explained. "We're going to have to….push the arrow. It didn't pass through. After that, " she swallowed thickly. "I'll need you break the arrow head, and then remove the shaft."

Sasuke nodded.

"Sasuke." He looked up.

"You'll have to try and stop the bleeding. Something was in that arrow. It's stopping my chakra reserves. I…I won't be able to heal myself."

He stared into her eyes as he listened, his face unreadable. "Alright." It was his turn to swallow hard. She helped him remove her top and with her guidance, his single hand used a kunai to cut some of her bindings away from the arrow, not noticing Sakura's blush as the tip of his ears tingled red.

He moved closer, his hand unsure, as he reached for the arrow. Sakura reached for the belt attached to the medical pack and bit down. His eyes searched hers as he mentally prepared himself, and Sakura nodded, shutting her eyes tight.

A scream filled the building as he pushed the arrow through her body, and he reached for her shoulder to hold her down as her body convulsed, rejecting the pain. She tried to remain still as he quickly snapped the tip of the arrow, throwing the abomination to the side as he returned his attention to his pink haired teammate, searching her tear-filled eyes for any reassurance.

"What's going on?!" Naruto rushed in, tossing heavy blankets behind him as he rushed to Sasuke's side.

"Hold her down," he shouted over another thundering roar. Naruto reached for Sakura's hand and held it, and after assessing the situation, he reached for her, moving her hair from her face.

"You're alright, Sakura-chan…"

She could only nod as she remained tense, and locked eyes with Sasuke, as if pleading to hurry and get it over with.

Sasuke once again gripped the arrow and tried to slowly pull the arrow back out, trying to cause any less pain to Sakura that he could manage. Sakura bit down harder on the belt, closing her eyes as she felt the intrusion of the weapon moving through her, gripping onto Naruto's hand, though cautious enough to not break it. Sasuke gritted his teeth, trying to block out Sakura's cry of pain as he pulled.

Relief washed over him as the arrow broke free of her and he set it away as he ripped off a piece of his clothing to try and stop the blood that poured from the wound. Sakura slackened against the wall and Naruto moved for their bags. He grabbed a sleeping bag and laid it out. "We can move her here after she heals up."

Sasuke shook his head, reaching for the gauze, watching as Sakura focused on staying awake. "She won't be able to."

"What?!"

"Evidently the arrow was rigged. It's stopping her chakra flow." He reached for Sakura to help her sit up and Naruto moved behind her to help her up, helping as Sasuke gently wrapped the bandages around her torso and helped to lie her down on the makeshift bed.

"Sakura…" Naruto whispered and reached for her hand again.

Sakura smiled weakly through half lidded eyes. "It's okay…you did good."

"Are you…?"

Sakura shook her head. "I'm fine. I just need some rest. Once this effect wears off, I'll take a look at that ankle. Then we can go home."

Naruto scoffed. "Don't worry about me. I can take anything! You just get your rest." She smiled softly.

Sasuke ran another hand through his hair. "C'mon dobe. We need to set up. We're going to be here for the night."

As Naruto moved to help, Sakura took time to herself. She berated herself for the situation she put her teammates in. If only she was a bit faster. Better. She was always holding them back, always watching them. Had she not proved herself in the war? Why did this have to happen? Especially now? She quickly wiped a tear away and breathed. No more. She would train harder. She would push harder. This was not going to happen again.

 _~ Several hours earlier ~_

"Naruto…"

"I'm fine."

"C'mon let me take a look at it." Sakura persisted.

"Dobe, don't let pride get in the way. You tried something, and you failed." Sasuke smirked. "It happens."

Naruto grumbled. "You're one to talk, teme."

"Naruto, you're being ridiculous."

"It's nothing serious, Sakura-chan."

Sakura stopped and put her hands on her hips as she continued to watch Naruto limp ahead, shaking her head in disbelief. Of course, her boys just had to get into a measly competition. Of course, Sasuke and Naruto just had to push each other's buttons. They were due back from their mission by the end of the day and Naruto was slowing them down because he refused help. That ankle had to have been swollen by now and it wouldn't do any good if they had to stop frequently.

Medic mode kicking in, she waited till he was far enough ahead and grabbed for his ankle.

"OW!"

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Good thing it's nothing serious."

"That doesn't hurt!"

"Already too swollen, huh?" She stated as she tried to get a closer look before Naruto pulled away.

"I'll walk it off."

Sakura sighed and put her hands on her hips reaching for her medical pack. "I'm not going to tell you that you shouldn't have tried that…"

"You'll work it in." Naruto said.

Sakura shook her head as she glanced up at Sasuke, who was still smirking, and smacked him in the shoulder.

"What the hell was that for?"

"You're as much fault as he is for goading him into racing!"

"Hn." Sasuke looked away from them, reaching for a kunai and throwing it towards the irritating blonde. Sensing danger, Naruto ducked to the ground, and looked back just in time to see the kunai rip the side of his boot, tearing it loose, exposing a purple, blue, swollen ankle, and hit the dirt.

"What the hell you ass!"

Sakura immediately moved to his ankle and Naruto adjusted his position on the ground. "Now you owe me a nice pair of boots!" He reached for said boot in question, hugging it. "Look at it! Ruined!"

"You'll live." Sasuke stated and picked up the kunai, placing it in its holster. "And for the record, it was Naruto who challenged first."

Naruto, childishly, stuck his tongue out at him. "Naruto, you'll have to keep this foot elevated for a while." Sakura stated as she poured some of her cold water onto his food. "It's not ice, but it'll have to do until we can get back home, there's a stream nearby I think. We can use it to freshen up. We'll need to hurry, I think a storm's coming."

"How am I supposed to keep it elevated?" Sakura stopped as she glanced up at Naruto, who was suggesting that someone carry him.

They both looked at Sasuke. "No."

"I'm not carrying him!"

"Aw! Sakura-chan!"

"No! It's your fault we got into this mess."

Sasuke tensed as their argument became background noise. Someone was following them and they were catching up. "Put your masks on." He stated coldly and reached for Kusanagi, placing a hawk painted mask over his face.

Sakura straightened, helping Naruto to his feet, a cat decorating her mask.

"Two to the right, two to the left and two behind us," Sasuke stated before the three of them jumped to the trees. He glanced over to see Sakura and Naruto making it to their respective trees, Naruto staggering a bit, and waiting for his signal.

He motioned to mask their chakra and to wait.

As if on cue, six men rushed into view.

Sasuke frowned before turning his gaze to an excited Naruto, who was motioning to attack. Sasuke motioned to stay put.

Naruto motioned again to attack. Sasuke, irritated, motioned to 'stay the fuck put'. Naruto flipped him off. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Did you hear that?"

The team stiffened. A kunai landed beside Naruto's ear.

Sasuke motioned to attack and the trio jumped down behind the group, surrounding them. Naruto slightly tripped, but recovered before punching a fist in his hand, grinning behind his mask. Sakura stood in a battle stance, gripping her gloves on tighter, while Sasuke pointed his sword.

"Why are you following us?"

"Tch. We don't need to tell you that." One of them boasted.

"Oh, but you do." Naruto growled before landing a punch on one of the rogues and a battle ensued. As the team paired off, leaving two enemies for each to handle, it was when the rain started. A thunderous sound was heard before rain began to plummet down.

Sakura grabbed the two guys in front of her by the head and clashed them together, flipped over them, kicked them from behind. Sasuke clashed swords with one, a dark line running across his face, the scar told of age, and the sound of steel surrounding them.

The man grinned at him as he witnessed Sasuke's strength through the sword. "Impressive. But it won't stop us. Our hatred burns and we will get our revenge."

Glaring at him but saying nothing, Sasuke went in for another blow, only to have the blade caught by ragged man. Not missing a beat, Sasuke jumped and twirled. He swung his foot out, causing him to let go of the blade. Red and purple eyes spiraled into view through his mask. A gray hue of chakra was seen swirling in the man's arm, and he noticed that the arm was covered in a metal. Sasuke figured this was why he was able to catch his blade without a scratch.

Naruto, using brute force and a couple of clones, managed to knock out one of the two of his share, limping around as he moved, the ground growing slippery as it turned to mud. As two clones poofed, Naruto whipped around in time to see the other assailant charge. Forgetting his footing, Naruto succeeded in blocking the attack, but the maneuver caused him to slip, and he landed with his back to the ground, gritting his teeth as he cursed his ankle.

Sakura rushed towards him to help, only to be stopped by the two she was dealing with. Just as she was about to pummel the ground with her strength, a bomb was thrown and a flash of light banged and she was thrown into the air.

Sasuke blocked another attack. Naruto kicked his assailant with his good foot in the balls. "Sakura!"

Her mask had fallen to pieces as she landed on the ground, revealing her pink hair, a bloodied nose, and a busted lip. She limped back to her feet and wiped at her mouth, her arms muddied.

The leader pushed off Sasuke's advance and grinned, "I wonder, shall I end you here and now? Or watch you suffer the same pain you caused me?" He then quickly revealed a small hidden crossbow that was attached to his arm, and before any of them could react, he aimed at Sakura and fired.

The arrow flew, surrounded by a soft grey chakra, mechanically turning to shape in midair, and landed in Sakura's abdomen. She felt the arrow head twist inside her body, and cried out, grasping her side and falling to her knees. As she reached for her chakra to assess any damage, a loud chirping noise was heard over the rain. A cry was heard before she felt someone lift her up.

"We need to go!" Sasuke shouted.

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted and limped to Sasuke.

Sakura winced in pain as she tried again to assess the damage. Why wasn't her chakra working?

Sasuke took one last look at the scared man. He was grinning from ear to ear maliciously and chuckled. Before his teammates could ask any questions, they wisked away from sight.

 _~Present~_

Naruto sat next to Sakura, crossed legged, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands fisted under his chin. A knee was fidgeting up and down as he watched her sleep.

The rain had died down a bit and the sound of scraping steel was heard as Sasuke preoccupied himself with sharpening his blade. Though, instead of watching his handiwork, his eyes were kept on the sleeping teammate a few feet away.

"That was a lot of blood, Sasuke."

 _Chink._

"And she can't heal herself."

 _Chink._

"Do you think they'll be looking for us again?"

 _Chink._

"Damn it, can you do anything else right now?!" Naruto glared.

Sasuke stopped and fixed his eyes on his best friend. "She'll be fine." He said, and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"Scouting. Watch her."

Naruto watched as Sasuke shielded his sword and grabbed for his arm, demanding his attention. "I heard him." He said, and if he wasn't staring at Sasuke's face, he wouldn't have caught the surprise and guilt and flashed over it before Sasuke masked it with indifference.

"I heard him." He said again. "What's going on? Did you know him? You've been quiet this entire time. Not that it's much of a difference as how much of an ass you normally are, but you're off. Something isn't right. You know something."

Sasuke looked away from his probing best friend and guilt washed over him as he watched Sakura. She was spread on the makeshift bed made for her. He could see her pale face, sweat dripping from her forehead as she slept. Her eyes dark and her breathing labored. Her body every now again quivered. This was his fault.

"Sasuke?"

He looked back at his teammate and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I knew him. At the time, I didn't recognize him, but I've met him before."

"Who is he? Why us? What does he want?"

"Revenge."

"Revenge? Against who?"

"Against me."

 **~Author's Notes~**

AAAAANNNNDDDD, cliffhanger. ^_^ Don't hate me. Chapter 2 is pretty much done, so it will be posted soon! Thanks for reading! Please review! I know there may be some grammar mistakes. Don't hesitate to point them out so I can fix them! So, whaddya think? I hope I'm keeping everyone in character. This is my first time writing a Naruto fanfiction. :P


	2. Failure - Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 _Tired of feeling lost, tired of letting go._

 _Tear the whole world down, Tear the whole world down._

 _Failure._

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked. "What are you doing sitting up?"

Sakura coughed again before adjusting herself, waving him off as he rushed toward her. "I was just uncomfortable in my back. I'm fine."

Sasuke sighed and reached for her water canister. "Here." Smiling, she took it graciously and winced as she choked a bit before settling down. "Now you know what it's like when I have to treat you two numbskulls after a spar." She ran her hand through her matted, tangled hair and cleared her throat.

Naruto entered the room with a small bowl and some bandages. "I'm done. I've followed your directions."

Sakura nodded and adjusted herself. Naruto took the bowl and carefully removed the soiled bandages from her. "How does the poltee work again?"

"Poultice." She smiled softly. "It's a temporary medicine until I can make it back home and get a proper serum. It should help until then." Sakura stated. She covered her mouth to cough again. "Just make sure you cover it up." Sasuke nodded and methodically began to change her bandages.

An eerie silence enveloped them as they worked. Sakura watched her teammates realizing this was the first time in hours that they didn't argue. Naruto's face was twisted with worry. Sasuke showed indifference, but to those who knew him, you would be able to detect concern and a hint of something else in his eyes. Was he worried too?

"We're going to have to set up some sort of defense. They're going to find us." Naruto stated absentmindedly as he watched Sakura help guide Sasuke's hand through the process.

"I guess I'm gonna miss out on the fun, huh?" Sakura asked. "So much for element of surprise. You'll just have to bloody their noses a little bit."

Naruto smirked. "You let us worry about bloodying their noses, Sakura-chan!" He grabbed the used bandages and put them in a pile out of the way. Then he glared at Sasuke. "You know. It's occurred to me, that this is just a clever diversion to make me forget about my boot."

Sakura smiled as she lifted her hand to her mouth and coughed. As she tried to clear her throat, heaviness seemed to take hold of her as a coughing fit began.

Alerted, the boys straightened up as they watched helplessly for it to pass.

Sakura, with one hand to her chest and the other reaching for a water canister, finally relaxed after taking a drink, and cleared her throat.

Sasuke put a hand behind her back to help her sit up as he began to wrap new bandages around her. He took note of her weariness. "Have you tried healing yourself again?"

Sakura nodded. "I don't understand. It should have worn off by now." She said and looked up at him. She blushed as he frowned and reached for her face, his thumb running across her bottom lip. Her old twelve year old self would have fainted, but the gravity of the situation and the grave expression on his face didn't exactly have her jumping for joy. "What?"

He examined his thumb and moved in closer to her, as if getting a better look, before locking eyes with her. "Blood."

Sakura glanced over at Naruto, his brows furrowed, nervousness and worry painted across his face.

Silence enveloped them again as they tried not to face it. As if saying it would make the situation real. But no one could deny it.

Sakura had been poisoned and she was running out of time.

* * *

Sasuke watched her, unmoving, like a hawk. His shoulder rested against the wooded wall, his arms crossed over his chest. She was resting, but every now and again a coughing fit would take a hold of her. He would watch as Naruto would rub her arm soothingly and offer her more water, then it would go back to quiet again.

The door opened again with a slight creak, and Naruto shook his hair out from the rain. He set another canister of fresh water beside Sakura and checked her forehead. "She's burning up." Sighing, he replaced the towel on her forehead with a new one and moved up, limping to stand next to Sasuke.

"I've sent a message back home. Let them know what's going on." He whispered, trying not to disturb Sakura.

Sasuke nodded. "I'm going after him."

"Not by yourself you're not."

"You can't fight."

"It's healing, I can manage."

"Naruto – "

"No, damn it!" The rise in his voice moved Sasuke's attention to Naruto. He was glaring at him, hands fisted as his sides. "You still don't get it. We're a team. You don't have to do everything by yourself."

"Who's going to watch over her?"

"We are. We're not leaving. We can't. You can't."

Sasuke scoffed and redirected his gaze back to his sleeping teammate.

"Don't pretend that you don't care. About her. I've seen you two together. I know you know she still loves you. And you feel something. It may not be love yet, but there's something there. And if you leave again…"

Naruto didn't have to finish. Sasuke bowed his head in shame. How many times did he have to apologize for what he'd done? How many more mistakes was he going to make? Of course, he knew Sakura still loved him. She reminded him every day through her actions. She always is looking out for his well-being. Always is making sure that he had company when he felt alone. After the war it was a bit awkward a first. But then, a friendship was formed and later, he began to see her more than just a teammate, though he never admitted it out loud, but it seemed his best friend seemed well aware of his sudden attention towards the girl. He blamed the effects of his getting together with the Hyuuga girl. Naruto was getting too aware.

"We'll have to take care of them first. We know that they are going to show sooner or later. We'll have to hide her until the fights over. Trying to get back home now is too risky, especially in this weather. We'll end this and get her to Baa-chan. I'm sure she has something to get the poison out of her."

Sasuke shifted and raised an eyebrow at him. Since when did Naruto seem logical? "She's running out of time."

"Look," Naruto turned to Sasuke. "We have to hold it out. If we move her now, she won't make it. We could set up traps, devise a plan. But we can't leave her now, okay?"

Sasuke considered Naruto's words as he watched Sakura sleep. "Okay."

* * *

 _Sakura jumped at the loud, thundering boom that sounded as the entrance to the abandoned building they resided in tore open. It had seemed their attackers from the other day had finally found them and began an assault on Naruto and Sasuke with reinforcements._

 _Helplessly, she watched as the fighting grew intense. Shouts were heard from below the scaffold she rested on and she struggled to get a better view. It was strange, the pain seemed to have disappeared as she moved, but she still felt heavy._

 _A loud creaking noise was heard from above and she realized that a few men were trying to get in from the outside. She looked back down at Naruto and Sasuke, who were too preoccupied with the fight in front of them to notice. Sakura panicked and desperately tried to call out to them when the men finally broke through and landed behind them, but they couldn't hear her. She watched with terrified eyes as the men grabbed a hold of Naruto from behind and slashed his neck in quick succession. Tears fell from her eyes as she watched Naruto fall to the floor motionless. Sasuke had turned around just in time to be rammed through with a sword. His eyes widened in surprise as Sakura cried out and Sasuke fell to his knees. Their eyes met briefly before the light left them and he fell back._

Sakura shot up with a painful gasp, the sound of thunder and lightning causing her to wake. Her body shaking as images of her boys dying in front of her replayed in her head; and she tried to get a grip on reality. Her eyes darted around, remembering where she was and what had happened. After regulating her breathing as much as she could, she moved her hair away from her face and looked down, only to see that Naruto and Sasuke were safe and sound, sleeping on either side of her.

Alive.

She gripped onto Naruto's resting hand for reassurance, almost finding amusement as he was sprawled out next to her, mouth wide open and snoring.

She turned to Sasuke, who also seemed to be asleep. A line creased between his brows, and she wondered what dreams were troubling him. Slowly, she reached out to him, just to ensure to herself that he really there; that he was alive and here with her, and carefully, she softly ran a loving finger on his cheek.

Sakura sighed and laid back down, her breathing still heavy from the poison that ran through her system. The nightmare still somewhat fresh in her mind, she stared at the ceiling, wondering if they were going to make it back home alive and wondering how long she had left.

She didn't notice Sasuke's eyes open.

* * *

Soft, harsh whispers were what woke Sakura. She blinked, trying to make out the sounds. Someone was arguing. As she slowly came to, she noticed Naruto standing a few feet away from her, his back to her, and he seemed upset. She followed his gaze and watched as Sasuke paced back and forth, his eyes seemingly distant, his face that once held an indifferent expression, now held anger and helplessness.

"What's going on?" She asked, trying to sit up but not being able to find the strength.

Naruto turned at the sound of a soft, weak voice, and guilt washed over him as he realized they had woke her up. "Hey," he said softly, and moved to sit next to her. "How ya feelin'?"

Sakura ignored him. "What are you two arguing about?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head. "It's nothing…"

"Don't lie to me."

Naruto sighed and looked over at Sasuke, who had paused in his pacing to watch her. When he finally looked at him, Naruto urged with his face, as if saying 'A little help here?'

When Sasuke turned away and walked to a nearby window, Naruto hung his head and turned back to Sakura. "We're just trying to come up with a plan. I've sent a message back home, asking for some help, and to bring some of that serum you were talking about, but…"

Sakura waited for him to continue. "But?"

Nervousness over took him again and Naruto fidgeted. "But, they won't make it here until two days from now."

Sakura stared in disbelief. Two days?

"Sakura…" Sasuke approached as if from nowhere. His arms crossed over his chest and his eyes searching hers. "You know more about medicine and poisons than we do." Sakura raised her eyebrows in shock. Was that a compliment?

"We need to know…how long do you have?"

Sakura swallowed thickly as she bowed her head. At the rate the poison was going, and with her inability to be able to heal herself, much less assess any damage internally, she needed a serum that would be able to counteract it. One that would give her chakra reserves back, or at least wear it off and give her enough strength to be able to study it and to fight it. She didn't know what she was poisoned with and that made it all seem…hopeless. There was no way she would be alive in the next two days.

The lack of answer was enough for Sasuke. "We're leaving."

"Sas-" Naruto stood up.

"Naruto, she is dying!"

"But the note said-"

"What note?" Sakura looked up and Sasuke glared at Naruto.

Naruto shrugged helplessly, shaking his head. "She has a right to know."

"Know what?" Sakura demanded, fighting back a tickle in her throat. Her eyes grew heavy as she tried to keep her head up.

She watched as the boys stared at one another; one daring the other to say anything, while the latter pleaded to listen to reason. Without looking away, it was Naruto who spoke first.

"Tsunade did some investigating. Apparently, the men who attacked us are rogue ninjas. There's a big group of them. They've been wanted in several other countries. They ransack civilian villages. They will kill, steal, and rape without thinking twice. Their leader, the one who shot the arrow at you, his name is Nanashi."

Sakura said nothing, waiting for Naruto to continue.

Sighing, he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Sasuke."

Sakura watched in confusion as Sasuke tensed and turned away angrily, his gaze returning out the window next to him.

"Sakura…" She watched Sasuke for a minute before getting her attention back to Naruto. "Nanashi wants….he uh….well right now he's really after…"

"He wants me."

Their attention shifted to Sasuke, who was still lingering by the window. His eyes were dark and it seemed as if he wasn't really here, like he was somewhere else.

Sasuke didn't need to look at her to know she wanted to know why. "When I was still with the Akatsuki…I was sent on a mission to retrieve a man named Nanashi, by all means necessary. I didn't know why and I didn't ask questions. All that mattered was my ultimate goal. I didn't care what it took to get there.

"He lived in a small village. Nothing out of the ordinary. We fought. Fire broke out...I can't remember if it was my team or an accident, but it went from house to house burning everything it touched. There was only a handful of survivors. Nanashi was obviously one of them.

"He blames me for the death of his family. I don't blame him."

"Uh – I do." Naruto said. "When will this end? This lust for blood and revenge…someone has to say no."

Sasuke shook his head slowly. "That is so hard to do."

"You did it!"

Sasuke's gaze slowly moved to Naruto's. "When you're family was killed, you were infected with the thought of revenge but you overcame it."

A sad smirk played across Sasuke's face. "I got lucky. I had you two." His hand ran across his face, tired and unfocused. "But if anything happened to you, or Kakashi, or…" He trailed off and swallowed thickly. "…I might just do the same."

"No."

Confusion eyes rested on their pink haired teammate. She looked up at Sasuke, a tired determination settled in the emerald orbs. "No, you promise me, if anything happens to me you will not become a monster."

She couldn't read the expression on his face as she watched her. Was it pride? Guilt? The heaviness took over her chest again and she tried to hold down yet another coughing fit but to no avail.

The boys moved closer to her and Sasuke reached for the ointment. "Let me take a look at this…"

"No-" she said in between coughs.

"Sakura…"

She grabbed his wrist to stop him from applying the medicine. "No, damn it." Sasuke held back as she gripped him, waiting for the coughing to pass. He didn't miss the bit of blood that made it to Sakura's hand while covering her mouth. "Sasuke…promise me…" She pleaded, and cleared her throat. Her eyes fierce and weary, never leaving his.

"I promise."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

I'm on a roll guys :P

Starting on Chapter 3. It may take a bit for it to be uploaded. In the meantime, tell me what you think! Can anyone tell where I'm getting the inspiration from? I figured the scene would work with the Team 7 esk (sp?). I hope the characters aren't too OC. Adult Sasuke in the Boruto movie seems more mature and wiser. I figure he had to get that from somewhere. ^_^ I apologize for any grammer mistakes.

My birthday is Thursday. O_O

Thank you to Codebreakerofcodes and Larshapeach for the review! And guest, why you has no name?! Thank you!


	3. The Dark is Taking Over - Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _All is lost again_

 _But I'm not giving in_

 _I will not bow_

 _I will not break_

A soft wind breezed as Sasuke sat in a nearby field, elbows resting on bended knees, outside the once abandoned shelter. He welcomed the chill it brought and the tranquility of it.

It was ironic.

Up until recently, all he sought out was revenge. Now it seemed, revenge was seeking vengeance against him, and ones closest to him were paying the price.

He picked at a blade of grass methodically, too unaware of a presence making its way toward him.

Useless, was how he felt.

"Hey," Naruto grunted as he made a seat for himself beside him. Sasuke spared a glance at him before returning his gaze back at the moonlight. "She's asleep again. I changed her bandages."

Sasuke nodded absentmindedly, not really listening but still hearing.

Naruto watched him warily. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

Sasuke shrugged. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Like hell there is." Naruto mumbled and Sasuke resisted the urge to glare at him.

"Don't."

"Alright fine." Naruto pouted as he outstretched his legs and taking new interest in the wrapped ankle. "Swelling's gone down. Walking's not so bad now."

"Good. Then we can get started on placing some traps."

"Yeah, I found a huge metal looking pot while scouting out the place. I've got a pretty good idea of how it can be used." Naruto smirked.

Sasuke nodded. "There's a scaffolding towards the back. We can hide Sakura there until the fight is over."

At the mention of the pink haired teammate's name, a new thick silence followed.

"She's gonna make it." Sasuke watched as Naruto nodded, more so to himself than to anyone else. As if he was not only trying to persuade Sasuke, but to convince himself as well. "She has to. We've been through tougher spots than this, right? Sakura is strong. Probably stronger than any other woman on this planet." It was odd watching him. Naruto, now, seemed more mature, tired and world-weary than any other moment Sasuke had ever seen in his lifetime. "Nanashi will pay for this…"

Sasuke couldn't agree more.

* * *

Blurred images filtered through emerald eyes. Sakura, delirious and with heavy eyes tried to take in her surroundings. Her entire body felt heavy and it took too much physical effort to try and sit up. Her limbs felt sluggish, and to Sakura, it seemed her body could not make up its mind of whether it was hot or cold.

Concentrating on other sounds, rather than her haggard breathing, she felt, rather than heard, the boys right outside the door.

Tears threatened to fall at the corners of her eyes and she lied there, almost motionless, and she dared to not let them.

Useless, was how she felt.

The poison that was now making its way through her system showed no signs of slowing down. In fact, from a medical perspective, it seemed symptoms were intensifying, if not growing faster.

She tried, for the umpteenth time, to reach for her chakra, but to no avail. It was like a locked door. She could still feel it, dormant, but only just. Something was blocking her way through and the more she tried, the more her body racked with pain.

A strong yet soft grip on her wrist caused Sakura to open her eyes, not realizing she had closed them, and she stared at a pool of dark ones. She felt drawn to them and stared subconsciously.

"Are you alright?"

His soft words pulled her from her reverie and she meekly nodded. It was unusual, his bedside manner, and Sakura almost smiled at the fact. Sasuke had come a long way.

"I was just…"

"Don't try to. You're wasting too much energy." He stated matter-of-fact and moved his hand to assess Naruto's handiwork.

Well, so much for camaraderie.

Sakura watched him with heavy eyes as he sat back, reaching his pack for his sharpening stone. It had become quite a habit, unintentionally, to watch him as he worked.

She noticed the heaviness of his shoulders, as if he was carrying the weight of the world. His eyes, to the untrained eye, were emotionless and detached. To Sakura, though, they held a sense of pain that he could never let go of. His grief, an ocean of unknowable depths, and she only wished she could take it all away and carry it for him. He had yet to find peace. Though, he had apologized, even to her that fateful day, and forgiveness already bestowed on him by the entirety of Team Seven, the man had yet to forgive himself, and this man, Nanashi, wasn't making it any better.

Fighting back the dizziness, she turned her head more towards him, and reached out, only able to reach his knee.

He froze instantly and glanced at the frail hand at his knee before meeting her eyes.

"This isn't your fault." She whispered.

Sasuke face remained stoic and he said nothing.

"Please, "she closed her eyes to breathe, "…don't shoulder this on your own. I should've moved faster. If I would have just – "

"Stop. Just…stop talking."

Sakura watched him with confusion as he angrily tossed the sharpening stone aside. "Don't tell me that this isn't my fault, Sakura. Don't be stupid."

He tried to ignore the flash of hurt that swept across her face.

Fists clenched, gritted teeth, Sasuke bowed his head. "Don't try to tell me that the very man whose family was lost, because of me, now after the closest people I care about, is not my fault. All of this is because of me. If I hadn't of been so keen on revenge, you would not be like this right now."

"But – "

"No, shut up! Damn it!" He stood up, dropping his sword to the ground as he began to pace. "Because of me that man has tortured and killed more people than I can count! Who knows what he's doing right now and it's only a matter of time before he finds us again."

Sakura blinked back surprise as she allowed her imagination to run wild. Suddenly, the reason for Naruto's insistence on staying put made a lot more sense. She knew that Naruto would never sacrifice her life just to exact punishment on the man that did this to her, but one life could not account for countless others.

If they were to leave now and get help, all Nanashi would do is continue to rage war on smaller villages and more would lose their lives. It wouldn't end until he was satisified.

She watched as Sasuke continued to wage war upon himself. Everything was coming to light. Sasuke, his decision to remain here and help faltered. After the grief of losing his family and his brother, he would not be able to bear the thought of losing either Naruto, and perhaps, her as well. She wasn't sure where she fell into that category, but she knew, they were his family. His only family.

She watched him, knowing full well that he was trying to come up with a plan that would both save her and other surrounding villages she knew would be targets if they left. Since when did Sasuke become so easy to read?

"It won't work." She whispered, her own voice betraying her. She knew convincing Sasuke to stay pretty much forfeited her own life. As she felt her body weakening as the hours went by, hope also slowly took a backseat. The squad Tsunade sent for help wouldn't make it in time. She would not survive this. "It's too late for me…"

Onyx eyes narrowed, glaring at her. "I don't accept defeat."

A pause passed as all she could do was watch him helplessly. He sighed and shook his head. "There are always choices."

His hands rubbed as his face tirelessly, before he nodded resolute. "I'm tired of living for my past mistakes. My responsibility now is you."

Sakura's heart faltered as he moved toward her. He was going to make them leave.

"Wait," she said, her voice weak as he kneeled next to her as if getting ready to lift her.

"Don't argue with me."

"Don't you argue with me!" Her shout was barely audible, but the seriousness of it stopped Sasuke in his tracks, and she struggled to catch her breath. "I know that I am going to die – I accept that – why can't you?"

An emotionless face watched.

"Sasuke, all those people…" She turned her head to cough. "What's my life worth then?"

"First things first."

"The first thing is the greater good, Sasuke. There are things in this life worth dying for." Her voice cracked as she tried to get Sasuke to see reason. "Things that have a higher meaning then our own existence."

"Not your existence."

"Why? Because I'm your friend?"

" **YES**." Sasuke's voice thundered as his eyes met hers.

Sakura's eyes sparkled as he stared at her. Whether it was the trick of the light or her tears he wasn't sure, but he knew at that moment, he'd let it slip that Sakura meant more to him that he had let on.

He sighed heavily as he resolved and sat down and buried his face in his hands.

Tears that had threatened to fall cascaded down her cheeks and Sakura, who was too tired to wipe them away,

"Sakura – " his voice wavered as he looked up again. A hesitant hand reached for her own and Sakura's breath caught in her throat. "You…I can't…"

For the first time since she's known him, Sasuke was at a loss for words.

"You are more than that."

Sakura's heart skipped a beat and an intake of breath had Sasuke looking up at her, helplessly.

Sakura's face scrunched up as she swallowed thickly and she tried to prepare herself to speak without sobbing.

"Then honor my memory." She whispered.

Swirls of emotion filled his eyes as he reached for her. His thumb caressed her cheek. His eyes never left hers as he moved in slowly, leaning down, as she felt his breath close.

Her eyes flittered shut as his lips brushed hers, soft and hesitant, before they captured them. Tears continued to fall as a rush of euphoric bliss enveloped her and it was bittersweet. A wave of new warmth filled her as he held it there for a few moments before deepening the kiss and carefully bringing her closer. Every hurt, every unsaid promise, every need melted into it.

Time seemed to pick back up as he slowly pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I'm sorry." He said softly.

"Thank you." She replied.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

For some reason, this chapter was extremely hard to write. Meh, perhaps writer's block. I'm hoping to update at least once a week.

It's not a very long chapter, but I think the contents are satisfactory. ^_^

I've decided that once I'm finished publishing this I am going to go back and do a massive edit.

So, whatchya think?

Thank you so much for the reviews, THEY FUEL MY FIRE! MUAHAHA!


	4. I Won't Let You Fall Tonight - Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

How do you stay so strong?

How did you hide it all for so long?

How can I take the pain away?

How can I save

"All set." Naruto finalized and brushed his hands together, admiring his handiwork.

He and Sasuke spent the better part of the night setting up traps here and there, making sure to surround the building. Nothing would touch Sakura.

Sasuke merely nodded, not fully paying attention as he pulled onto a rope, ensuring its tauntness. Lost in thought, he barely heard Naruto's voice. It wasn't until a tentative hand reached his shoulder that his thoughts were interrupted and he blankly stared at Naruto.

"…You alright?" Naruto asked weerily.

Shrugging his hand off, Sasuke turned his attention back to the trap he was setting at the window. The trap would be released in case anyone tried to come through, a simple throw of a kunai and the rope would release a slab of wood. The wood, which had several smaller pieces of wood attached, sharpened to a point, would slam against the window, piercing anyone who even tried to come through. "I'm fine."

Naruto sighed, knowing that Sasuke wouldn't want to be pushed further, and backed off. Scratching the back of his head, he glanced over to check on Sakura, who was barely making a sound. He paused and held a breath. "S-sakura?"

The worry in Naruto's voice sounded an alarm in Sasuke's head and he turned to look over his shoulder, his hold on the rope becoming slack as he felt his heart drop.

Sakura, looking paler than ever, didn't answer as her eyes stared off into space. She was still, too still for Sasuke's liking. Her face held no emotion and he shuddered as he tried to find a sign of breathing.

Naruto, slowly made his way toward her, and bent on his knees next to her. He lifted a hand, almost afraid to confirm their fears, and waved a hand in front of her face.

 _Please…._

A moment passed before Sakura closed her eyes. "I'm still here…" she whispered weakly. "I think…"

Naruto released a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and Sasuke gripped onto the rope tighter, his knuckles turning white as he layed his forehead against the panel of the window.

 _Thank Kami…._

Sakura swallowed thickly as she opened her eyes again, her brows furrowed in curiousity. "It's strange…I've seemed to move beyond the pain."

Naruto sat back rubbing a hand through his hair, just relieved to hear her voice. The reality of the situation was slowly becoming to heavy to bear.

Sasuke had stepped away from the window, reaching for the bowl. "Here," he said kneeling next to her and Naruto. "Your poultice is ready for you."

"No, please, don't. Don't bother with that."

Sasuke paused in his movement, ready to argue with her, until she saw the expression on her face.

She held a small smile, her eyes heavy as she stared at him. "I can't move...I can't help so please…I'm just distracting you."

"Sakura..."

"No, Naruto…" she breathed heavily, still giving them her small smile. "It's okay. I know what has to happen and it's okay."

Sasuke gripped the bowl tightly, his hands shaking as several emotions washed over him. This wasn't happening.

"But you're our source Sakura."

Sasuke stilled and enclined his head towards Naruto, not taking his eyes off Sakura.

Sakura's eyes widened in curiosity and confusion, imploring Naruto to explain.

"When I reach down inside myself and see myself do things that I'm not capable of it's because of you." Naruto gestured to the both of them. "And I'm sure the bastard would never admit it, but I know he feels the same."

A knowing looked passed through Sasuke and Sakura and Sasuke nervously cleared his throat.

"You're family." Naruto whispered, almost as if he was admitting it to himself. Sasuke was slightly taken aback of how serious he looked, rather than the goofy expression he always wore, and felt another wave of respect to his friend.

Naruto glanced back at Sakura, slightly elbowing her thigh, "Don't you know that by now?" He teased.

Sakura watched him with tearful eyes, her smile a bit brighter than before.

Sasuke pushed a few strands of hair away from her face before steadily applying the medicine to her wound. "Let's just see this one out together." He whispered and slowly began to put his arms around her.

With Naruto's help, they quietly moved Sakura up on the scaffold. Once they set her down, Sakura slowly used what strength she had to move herself onto the makeshift bed they made for her.

She dropped onto the blankets, out of breath from the amount of energy it took and glanced down from the ledge. "Now I have a better view." She breathed.

Sasuke couldn't help but give a small smirk as he moved strands of hair from her forehead, glistening with sweat.

Naruto had pushed the giant black pot next to her and the ladder they came up from. "This is full of boiling oil. If anyone tries to come up here, you push it. Just, tip it over."

Sakura nodded nervously. "You guys will be down there."

"If they are coming up the ladder then they got passed us. If they got passed us then…."

Sakura nodded solemnly before eyeing Sasuke. "Watch the ceiling."

Sasuke brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

Naruto eyed her, perplexed.

Sakura shifted nervously, before admitting her fears. "I had a dream. They came through the roof and…" She swallowed before bowing her head.

Naruto layed a hand on hers. "Always looking out for us, huh?"

She gripped it and looked up at them. "Always."

As they both turned away from her to head down the ladder, Sakura panicked. "Sasuke..."

He turned to her as Naruto paused at the ladder before deciding to give them their space.

Sakura bit her bottom lip nervously, her eyes swimming. "About…the Land of Iron…I hope you know I never wanted to hurt you…I just…I was only…"

Sasuke shook his head. "Sakura, that's - you have no reason to apologize."

"But I—"

"No. That's all in the past. I just—" He rested his forehead against hers, his eyes tightly shut, hoping that Sakura understood what he wasn't saying. He couldn't say it, it would hurt more if he had to lose her. "Just…please…don't give up. Not yet."

"They're coming!" Naruto hollered from below and Sasuke opened his eyes, seeing red, searing her image into his memory. With new determination and adrenaline pumping, he gave a lasting kiss on her forehead before turning away.

Sakura watched as his back came into view, the Uchiha crest embellished on his back seemingly more prominent than before, before he disappeared from sight.

She wondered if she'd make it through until the end of the fight, or if that was the last she'd ever see of him.

 **Author's Note:**

I AM SO SORRY!

I had a major case of writer's block, then the holidays and just - ugh. I'm sorry. This story wasn't going exactly the way I had planned, hence, the note for a major edit after this is completed. I feel like my writing needs work, but hey, gotta start somewhere right? Hehe ^_^;

I've already started on the next chapter, we are almost to the end! I hope to be able to upload it soon! Thank you all for the reviews and the support! Loves!


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